Describing Negative Emotional Responses: English Vocabulary List

causing increased annoyance

"The constant noise is aggravating."

"The aggravating noise of the dripping faucet kept me awake for most of the night last night."

causing a feeling of unease, discomfort, or reluctance

"His manner is off-putting."

"His off putting manner and rude comments made everyone feel uncomfortable at the dinner party last evening."

making one feel worried about something

"The news was disquieting."

"The disquieting news about the spreading virus made people stock up on food and stay inside their homes."

causing uneasiness, anxiety, or disturbance

"The change in his behavior is perturbing."

"The perturbing change in his behavior worried his parents who did not know what was wrong with him."

causing annoyance or weariness due to its dull or repetitive nature

"This delay is irksome."

"The irksome task of cleaning the garage took all day and left him exhausted and covered in dust."

causing extreme anxiety or tension

"The interview was nerve-wracking."

"The nerve wracking job interview made her palms sweat and her voice shake with nervousness and fear."

causing intense dislike, disgust, or aversion

"The smell is repellent."

"The overwhelming, repellent odor of the garbage dump made everyone hold their noses and quickly walk away."

causing extreme emotional distress, despair, or a profound sense of hopelessness

"The repetitive work is soul-destroying."

"The soul destroying factory job made him feel empty and depressed every single day for many years."

deserving of pity, regret, or disappointment

"His performance was lamentable."

"The lamentable state of the old building showed years of neglect and lack of proper maintenance by the owners."

causing concern or disappointment

"The result was dismaying."

"The dismaying results of the election shocked the nation and caused widespread protests in the capital city."

boring and repetitive that makes one feel unhappy

"The weather is dreary today."

"The dreary rainy day matched his gloomy mood as he sat alone by the window watching the world pass by."

experiencing or expressing severe physical or emotional pain

"She let out an anguished cry."

"The anguished cry of the mother filled the hospital corridor when she heard that her son had died."

causing intense shock, fear, or disgust

"The traffic was horrendous."

"The horrendous traffic jam made him two hours late for his job interview and he lost the opportunity completely."

causing strong feelings of dislike, disgust, or hatred

"Racism is abhorrent."

"Racism is abhorrent and has no place in a civilized society that values equality and respect for all people."

shocking or disgraceful, often involving immoral or unethical behavior

"The news is scandalous."

"The scandalous affair between the politician and his assistant was exposed by a local newspaper reporter last week."

causing sadness or disappointment

"The team's performance was dismal."

"The dismal performance of the team led to the coach being fired after only one season with the club."

overly impressive in size or appearance, often to the point of being excessive or showy in a negative way

"He has grandiose plans."

"The grandiose plans for the new shopping mall included a bowling alley a cinema and five different restaurants."

causing extreme anxiety, stress, or tension

"Waiting for the result is nerve-racking."

"The nerve racking experience of flying through a thunderstorm made the passengers grip their armrests tightly with white knuckles."

causing a loss of confidence, hope, or enthusiasm

"The loss was demoralizing."

"The demoralizing loss in the championship game crushed the team's spirit and they could not even look at each other."

causing a feeling of discomfort, anxiety, or fear due to being in confined places

"The small room feels claustrophobic."

"The claustrophobic elevator felt smaller and smaller as the doors closed and trapped us inside the tiny metal box."

extremely unpleasant or rude

"He is an obnoxious person."

"His obnoxious behavior at the party made everyone feel uncomfortable and eager for him to leave."

having or showing a strong desire for revenge

"She felt vengeful after the betrayal."

"The vengeful ex boyfriend spread terrible lies about her on social media because she had ended their toxic relationship."

extremely disgusting or unpleasant

"He said something vile."

"The vile criminal showed no remorse for his terrible actions and the judge sentenced him to life in prison."